During a Storm
by misa1
Summary: A oneshot by request. Jack and Sally's wedding reception.


_Hi all. This is a little one-shot, requested by Steph. I don't do requests usually, but I realized that I hadn't ever written anything about J&S's wedding, so she was right that I should do one. This takes place immediately afterwards, but still... ; I've been kicking around what to do with this for weeks, then we had a crazy storm and downpour here the other night and I got inspired. It's more like a series of tiny snapshots than a full-on story, but I'm still pretty happy with it._

During a Storm

In a more average world, it might have been considered a sign of bad luck. The skies opened like a change-purse, spilling rain in waves. Fearsome creatures scurried for cover. Mrs. Corpse in particular was concerned. The cake on which she had worked so hard had not even been cut when the deluge began. The vampires lent a hand, doing their best to pull the confection under shelter.

Sally stood under her sewing tent by the fountain. Water poured across the taught canvas roof. She gathered the train of her bridal gown, keeping the hem from trailing on the wet stones. She had only seen such a storm once before. Streaks of lightning lit the sky, followed by a roar of thunder which made her step backwards with a start. Jack took hold of his bride's hand. He pulled her towards the rear of the small tent. The Corpse family and the vampires crowded in.

"It stormed like this the day I was born.", Sally said. Jack turned to her with mild surprise.

"It did? You remember?"

"Yes. The sky was the first thing I saw. Rain fell into my eyes when the doctor uncovered them because the roof was still open. He usually uses a generator for electricity, but he didn't need one that day."

Jack nodded thoughtfully. He ran his boney fingertips down the front of his suit jacket. Different from his usual black and white, today he wore dove gray. The color of his satin lapels almost matched the dark sky.

Jack wished the doctor would have come to their wedding. Sally's creator had been invited, but declined, saying that he simply had too much holiday work to finish. Sally wondered if perhaps the old man might change his mind, but as she walked down the aisle of the town hall, every eye of every being upon her, she did so alone. Alone, until she found herself mercifully at Jack's side, ready to exchange vows and to become no less than the queen of Halloween.

"Oooh...", fretted Mrs. Corpse. She waved her pudgy hands in despair. "The icing is all pitted from the rain!" Mr. Corpse patted her shoulder consolingly.

"It's fine! Almost as good as new. We brought it in very quickly.", said a large vampire. His tone was slightly defensive. "We'll just wait a spell for the rain to stop. At this rate, it certainly can't last long!"

* * *

Across the hills, Lock, Shock and Barrel directed their ambulatory bathtub under a particularly leaky section of roof. Shock groaned in disgust as a new rope of water streamed down onto her bed from the eaves.

"We shoulda gone to the wedding.", moped Barrel. "I heard there is going to be a giant cake."

Lock scoffed.

"Giant? Don't be stupid. Giant would be like, I dunno, bigger than the townhall! There's no giant cake, or we'd see it from here!"

"Well...there's a big cake anyway.", sniffed Barrel.

"There's a big pile of goo, you mean.", said Shock. "Look at this rain! I'll bet it's a mess up there!"

"Huh. We probably should have gone.", Lock said with a sigh.

* * *

"More tea?", Jewel asked in her scratchy voice. Dr. Finklestein nodded and sat back in his chair while she poured. Thunder cracked outside.

"It's such a pity I've nothing to animate today.", pondered the old man. "Natural lightning is always the best way to do things, but one can never tell precisely when a storm of suitable magnitude will present itself. It's just luck I suppose. Fine weather for shocking a creation into life, rather poor weather for an outdoor wedding reception. Ah, well."

"Wedding?", asked Jewel.

"Yes. Sally and Jack's of course.", said the old man.

"Who is Sally?", Jewel asked

Dr. Finklestein clicked his tongue.

"Search your hemisphere. Sally is in there somewhere."

He sipped his tea and gazed out the window. The square, which had been filled with townsfolk now stood almost empty. A small group lingered in the doorway of the townhall, waiting for the rain to cease, others stood under roof overhangs or tattered awnings. They stared upwards in awe as curls of lightning twisted in the clouds.

* * *

"It's neat!", marveled the corpse child. A little cyclops by his side nodded in agreement.

"Can't you two do something?", pouted the Mayor. His unhappy face glared at the witches. They stood in the aisle of the townhall. "I have a whole speech written out for this reception! If we don't get moving soon, no one will wait around to hear it! Can't you just make the rain stop long enough for everyone to gather back in here?"

"By the time we work out that kind of thing, the rain might be over anyway Mayor!", said the taller witch with a shrug.

"Weather spells are always dodgy.", added her companion.

* * *

"I wish I could give you a honeymoon.", Jack said suddenly.

"What's that?", Sally asked. Jack smiled. He touched small, lavender flowers arranged in her hair.

"It's a wonderful trip that you're to take right after you get married. I read about it. We're supposed to take a trip far away together, somewhere peaceful and quiet where we can be completely alone. Somewhere romantic." Jack frowned for the first time that day. "My terrible Christmas wasted so much time. I've put the entire town months behind on next Halloween. If not for that, I'd be able to take you away."

"If not for your Christmas, we might not be together.", Sally said. Jack smiled once more.

"I'd love to take you to Christmas town, Sally. I'll take you there someday, I promise."

"We'll see Jack.", Sally said with a laugh. "For now, I just want to be at home with you for awhile."

Mrs. Corpse sniffed back happy tears. She dabbed her cheeks with a moth-holed handkerchief.

"Will you still talk to us when you're the queen?", the corpse child asked, looking up at the ragdoll. The cyclops and a small red-eyed demon stood alongside him, equally interested in her answer.

"Of course!", said Sally, leaning down.

"I've always talked to you haven't I?", said Jack. The child nodded. "Yeah. I just didn't know if Queens were different." Laughing, Jack patted the boy's head.

* * *

The Fishgal leaned back against the stone edge of the town fountain. She hadn't even noticed the rain at first. It was so funny to see everyone running for shelter as if they'd melt. No one really melted in the rain. Fishgal noticed a sticky creature in a white dress suit, looking especially uncomfortable as he hid under a large umbrella. Aside from that fellow, she thought.

* * *

"Haven't had such a storm as this in awhile!", commented Mr. Hyde. He'd braved a brisk trot through the descending water to join the group under the tent. Jack chuckled. He sat on the stool behind Sally's sewing machine, holding the ragdoll in his lap. Her stitched arms circled his neck.

"This isn't quite the day we expected.", he said.

"Mm. I like it though.", Sally replied after a moment.

"It's...dramatic!", pronounced one of the vampires, holding a pale finger aloft for emphasis.

"It's a dramatic day!", said Jack. "How often does Halloweentown get a new Pumpkin Queen after all?"

"I hope not too often.", Sally murmured. Jack laughed at this.

"It's a perfect day.", he said.

Indeed, he was correct.

_END _


End file.
